Philadelphia Museum of Art

Following the announcement of the partnership between the award-winning Berg Fashion Library and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, we are delighted to confirm that all 2,800 images are now live on the site.

With this exciting addition to the Berg Fashion Library the Museum will be sharing high quality images from their world-renowned costume and textiles collection. Highlights include designs by Elsa Schiaparelli and Charles Frederick Worth, and a stunning array of accessories.

Kathryn Earle, Head of Visual Arts Publishing at Bloomsbury, comments:

“Bloomsbury is thrilled to be working with the Philadelphia Museum of Art on what will be an incredible addition to the Berg Fashion Library. The images that Philadelphia are sharing will give our subscribers an amazing window into fashion history. Philadelphia’s collection features ground-breaking designs from innovators such as Rei Kawakubo and Christian Dior alongside classic American designs by Claire McCardell and Todd Oldham, to name but a few. The image collection is fantastically eclectic; featuring a vast array of fashion accessories, including beautifully decorated fans from the early nineteenth century. These images will be of great benefit to students, and fashion historians, and will inspire and educate future generations of designers.”

About Philadelphia Museum of Art

As one of the largest museums in the United States, the Philadelphia Museum of Art invites visitors from around the world to explore its renowned collections, acclaimed special exhibitions, and enriching programs, both in person and online.

Established in 1893, the Museum’s Department of Costume and Textiles boasts what has become one of oldest and largest collections of its kind in the nation, numbering more than 30,000 pieces. Indian, Italian, and French textiles are particular strengths, as well as 19th- and 20th-century French and American costume and American quilts, coverlets, and samplers (among them the famous Whitman Sampler Collection, assembled by the successful Philadelphia chocolate manufacturer). In 1956 the Museum was given its best-known item of clothing, the wedding dress worn by Princess Grace of Monaco. The most important acquisition of work by a single designer came in 1969, with Elsa Schiaparelli’s gift of 71 of her innovative garments and accessories--many of which are now icons of 20th-century fashion. More recent acquisitions include work by contemporary Japanese designers and by the American designer James Galanos.